Hello I am new to fly fishing (i have actually never gone before) I was wondering what is some good cheap gear. I found and they seem to have some pretty cheap prices on their gear. Any suggestions?

silvercreek

10-02-2009 04:23 PM

Well BK that's a lot of ground to cover. I suggest you do a search on this forum. You'll find a lot of info given to guys in your situation. You'll enjoy the responses. If at all possible, put yourself in the hands of someone who has flyfished for a while and may have some gear for you to try. Lacking that give LRO a call. They know their stuff. The last resort would be to just start buying stuff. I could have bought a couple of nice rods with the money I wasted going that route. I suggest a five weight graphite for an all around rod, but I lean toward a four weight for the mountains. You'll end up with several if you get into this. I think you'll find flyfishing is a journey. Enjoy the trip. Send us all a pic or story about that first trout. Regards, Silvercreek

BlueRaiderFan

10-02-2009 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkfranklin22
(Post 72511)

Hello I am new to fly fishing (i have actually never gone before) I was wondering what is some good cheap gear. I found and they seem to have some pretty cheap prices on their gear. Any suggestions?

That site seems to be fairly pricey for a begginer. I would suggest a TFO rod (comes with a 20 or 25 year warranty), and a decent reel that would balance it out well. After that, you need waders, boots and at least one fly box, an extra leader, extra tippet and you can get the vest later. LRO (the owners of this forum) has some really good stuff for begginers. I bought some Chota waders and boots and they've held up like champs for two years now. They even have FREE shipping. If you go through a website only, and/or chain store, and something goes wrong with your gear, good luck getting help with it, but if you go through LRO, they are a small business and will work with you to get things taken care of if something breaks and you need it replaced under warranty etc. Just my 2 cents.

Carolina Boy

10-02-2009 08:16 PM

I have to agree with my Blue Raider friend. What you really need to think about is how much do you really love to fish. I really don't care what type of fishing you enjoy right now, more how much of a thrill or kick do you get out of connecting with a fish on the end of a line? second of all are you somewhat patient when it comes to fishing? I am the type of guy that is going a hundred miles an hour, and take meds to slow this down, but with that said my whole life I could sit and watch a bobber for hours on end knowing the bite was just a few minutes away. So I am a mess clearly but most of the boys and women you talk to on this site are probably as consumed as i am. The reason i ask you these questions is to try and better answer your question. If you are a casual fisherman, which is certainly OK, then that will affect my answer. If you are a nut job like us well welcome home and I will give you some different answers and opinions. No one likes to throw money away and I wouldn't want to advise you without really knowing what we are dealing with. LRO will be the ultimate answer for equipment, it is the nicest flyshop I have ever been too and I have been all over the world. So I if you an give us a little more info we can all give ya a bunch more help.

Tight Lines

tire guy

10-02-2009 08:59 PM

BK Mahoney"s is a great shop! But I must say the guys before me told you correctly, go to Little River Outfitters. I do however suggest you take their beginner class if you do not have someone to take you under their wing. I started with a used 9' 5 wt rod and reel and was happy with it until I learned the difference. Living in JC you are close to some premium water so success is just around the corner.

MarkHansen

10-02-2009 08:59 PM

Yes, you can sometime find cheaper prices on the internet shopping around.

Support your local fly shop !!!!! If your from Knoxville, the Creel (papermill & kp) is no longer open. Little River Outfitters and the Orvis shops are great for equipment and knowledge. They will not sell you something you will not need.

We all work hard for our dollars, let's be smart about where we spend them and think about the big picture.

Mark
<;)((((((><

spotlight

10-02-2009 11:34 PM

I am a beginner as well I made the right choice I went to LRO and told them I had never fly fished before and they didn't try to sell me anything I didn't need and were very helpful with any newbie questions that I had and even gave me some basic casting lessons 3 weeks and 2 trout later I can honestly say I couldn't be happier.

Choose your gear well going cheap isn't always the way a 4 to 5 wt rod and line is more than sufficient for most waters in east Tennessee. good luck and happy fishing careful though it's very addicting!

jeffnles1

10-03-2009 12:04 AM

Check these out.
For a rod, I tend to like longer rods in 4 or 5 wt. In the warmwater lakes, they seem to give a little more room for error in casting and on the streams, even the brushy mountain streams, the longer rods allow you to keep more line off the water to manage the currents to keep your fly drifting drag free longer.

Reels are a matter of choice but get a decent line regardless of what you end up getting. I like Rio and Scientific Anglers lines.

At some point, it's really a matter of if you like blonds or redheads. They're all good.

If you're fishing the mountains for trout, the 4wt is plenty. If you're mixing warm water ponds and lakes, a 5wt may be better. I've landed fairly large bass down to a 3wt but the 5wt manages wind a little better and is easier to cast larger poppers.

Leaders and tippets are a matter of choice. I have always used Rio brand. I have tried Orvis and liked the Rio better. Don't know why.

The guys at LRO will help you out. They do not charge shipping and are going to treat you right.

Any of the rod/reel/line combinations on these links are going to do well for you and will last well beyond the beginner stage.

The risk of buying a very cheap rod is 1) it may not cast as well for you and 2) when you realize how addictive fly fishing is, you'll end up throwing it away and buying one of these anyway and you will have thrown away nearly as much in the end.

Hope this helps.
Jeff

bkfranklin22

10-05-2009 11:10 AM

Awesome!

Well guys I really appreciate all the feedback I have been given! This really helps out alot! I live in Johnson City right now and so I think I am good to go with the fishing locations. haha. I know you don't get the personal greeting when you buy off line but I am noticing some better prices towards the other side of things.

David Knapp

10-05-2009 02:58 PM

Another shop you might want to check into is shop "X" and they have great service to go along with their good prices...:cool: